First Review In, from Battlebus

[Marcus Brotherton]

Paul Woodage from Battlebus tours in Normandy received an advance copy of "We Who Are Alive and Remain: untold stories from the Band of Brothers," (It's official release date is May 5), and posted a review on his forum at http://battlebus.19.forumer.com/viewtopic.php?t=211

As an author, it's really great when a book connects so strongly with readers. I hope this level of excitement about this project is a taste of what's to come. His is the first review that I know of about the book, so I wanted to share it here. I know this forum cares strongly about all the men featured in the book.

Thanks everybody,
--Marcus


Below is the text to Paul's review:

Posted: Mon Apr 27, 2009 10:46 am
Post subject: Book - We Who are Alive and Remian by Marcus Brotherton
Battlebus
Site Admin

As regulars of this forum know I have all the previous books on Easy Company 506th and many more titles about the 101st Airborne in my library. So I am pleased to be able to offer a review of this new book - officially for release in early May. I received an advance copy from Marcus on Saturday and had finished it by Sunday night. The book consisits of the recollections of 20 of the Easy Company veterans who were not featured heavily in the original Ambrose book. Some names are familiar from the TV series - Earl McClung, Shifty Powers, Frank Perconte and Herb "Junior" Suerth, but for most readers the majority of the other contributors will be new names - Al Mampre, Dewitt Lowrey, Don Bond and Ed Pepping for example. The book chronicles their lives from childhood up to the outbreak of WWII, their training in the USA and England and then through the campaigns of Normandy, Holland, Bastogne and Germany up to their later years as grandfathers and in some cases WWII "celebrities."

When you see this book advertised you may be wondering, do I really need another Band of Brothers book?

If you are a fan of veterans talking about their war service? Then the answer is a resounding YES

If you are a Band of Brothers fan? Then the answer is also a resounding, gold-plated, absolute definite YES

I am lucky because I have heard some of the anecdotes and tales within the book first hand from the veterans themselves, others were new to me, but all were enthralling. Marcus would be the first to admit he is not a WWII expert, nor a historian in most peoples understanding of the word. To me this actually benefits the book, because a historian would probably have only cherry-picked the anecdotes that he needed to flesh out his battle accounts. Here Marcus includes them all, from tales of combat and killing to pranks and high-jinks to their feelings about life in general.

Another great factor, and one I can personally verify is that he leaves the accounts exactly as spoken by the guys. The use of language is typical for each man - I could tell Earl McClung's accounts by his manner of talking before I saw his name written, the same for Forrest Guth and Bill Wingett. It's also a book you can dip in and out of, although I love reading sprawling battlefield narratives and following the campaign along on maps, I sometimes like to just pick up a book for 20 minutes and put it down again. With this book although I have read it from cover to cover I know I shall go back and read certain sections and stories again and again, it is easy to follow and contains an excellent index - a lesson other publishers should learn from! Yes I mean you Heimdal!!!

But I have saved the best for last, the three final chapters are by the children of three interesting and representative Easy Compan veterans no longer with us. Michael Sobel writes about his father and the negative impact of his father's portrayal in the TV series. Susan Finn writes passionately about her father, Burr Smith and George Luz Junior talks about Luz, who comes out in every veteran's list of best friends in the company. Let me say I would have paid the cover price, heck even double the cover price for these three chapters alone. If Susan's, Michael's and George's accounts don't leave you moist in the eye, then frankly you have a heart of stone.

I urge you all to buy this book, and as you do so visit Marcus's blog and leave a comment, tell him you will buy the book and where you saw it reviewed!

Paul

[Jacques Wood]

Marcus

I am really looking forward to the book. I have had it pre-ordered on Amazon for quite a while. I am very interested in reading the stories of the men that haven't had theirs told before. I'm sure many positive reviews will be posted on this forum when we have all read it.

Regards,

Matthew

[Mickep]

Just had confirmation of dispatch from Amazon UK.
Really looking forward to this book.

[Jiggersfromsphilly]

Susan Smith Finn is quite pleased with Paul's review.

Spot on old man!

[ambulnick]

Marcus, thank you for taking the time to drop that review off!

It sounds like another excellent book about Easy, and definitely one that will be added to my shopping list!

[super_rop]

That sounds great. I'm really looking forward to the 3 final chapters and especialy the Sobel part. But who is Heimdal?

[Marcie]

I also have this book pre-ordered through Amazon. I've visited Marcus' band of brothers book website several times to read the the introductions of the Easy men featured in the book. I am so excited to start reading this book when it arrives!

Marcie

[Jacques Wood]

I got my copy from Amazon today. I will start it tonight, woooooo

Matthew

[ambulnick]

Welcome to the forum Marcie - feel free to introduce yourself in Camp Toccoa

Jacques Wood - let us know how it is!

[Connie]

Amazon in the US lists the May 5th shipping date, so I look forward to getting mine by the end of this week. Great review!
Connie

[Jacques Wood]

I have finished the book We Who Are Alive And Remain and really enjoyed it. I will post a short review here, but most of what I think has already been said.

Right from when I first heard about this book, it was a must have for my book shelf. The angle the book was coming at interested me. There has been many different types of books written regarding Band of Brothers, from autobiographies, biographies, personal memoirs that read like a novel (Webster's book) and Forrest Guth's photo/battlefield souvenir book. Then more recently the Easy Company photo book.
This covers quite a wide range of angles for books written about one specific Company. It is difficult then to write a new book which is different to all these. We Who Are Alive And Remain fills the gap perfectly. It is a book written about "the forgotten" members of Easy Company. Finally they get the chance for the world to hear their story. Along with the new photo book with the unpublished photos of Easy Company, this books release has been timed so that unpublished photos come out at a similar time as unpublished stories, which I think was a good idea.
I'm sure that before this book, the war story of say, Henry Zimmerman, was known only to a select goup of people. With this book the reader gets to know his story in detail and after you finish the book, these mens stories are as complete as the men featured publicly since the miniseries.

To make the book even better than it already is, the addition of having "memories of my father" as a separate section written by children of some of the members of Easy Company, gives an even wider view of Band of Brothers.

Overall, this book has sad stories and happy stories, but when you finish you get an even deeper respect for the men who have been out of the public light. This book gives them the credit they very much deserve. In my opinion the best Easy Company book yet, well done Marcus Brotherton.

Matthew

[super_rop]

I got mail from Amazon, yesterday they shipped my copy together with tonight we die as men.

[ambulnick]

An excellent review, thank you Matthew!

[lsjones7]

Received the book on Tuesday of this week. Already halfway throug. Just can't put it down.

[Marcus Brotherton]

Thanks also Matthew, for your review.

I really appreciate the tone of encouragement on this website. So many forums out there today are only places to spew venom, but I haven't seen it here. I think this is one of the reasons for the success of this forum.

Anyway, thanks again.
--Marcus